 Lisa S. Smith,
Executive Director
Lisa S. Smith is President of North Star Innovation Partners LLC, a woman-owned economic development management and consulting firm pecializing in the development of strategies and programs that drive innovation in communities. She has 15 years of national and international economic development project experience ranging from innovation strategy development, programs for accessing early stage capital, incubator feasibility assessment, design, and management, to business development, marketing, and international business promotion.
Since 1998, she has launched and managed five business incubation programs in the Washington-Baltimore area. She also has directed nearly 30 business incubation-related projects nationally. These projects have operated in a wide range of business, technology and community contexts and many of these projects have involved economic development organizations and university partners.
Her international experience includes the development of the technology incubator strategy in the U.S. for Scottish Development, the national economic development agency for Scotland and the launch of Scotland’s US incubator network, the Scottish Technology and Research (STAR) Centers. As part of her work with Scottish Development, Ms. Smith also coordinated the Maryland Scotland Alliance for Biotechnology to accelerate business development and research collaborations between Scottish and Maryland biotechnology companies and institutions.
Prior to founding North Star Innovation Partners, Ms. Smith served for nine years as Vice President and Director of Marketing for ANGLE Technology, an international technology commercialization firm. In addition to her incubation management activities, she directed feasibility studies, prepared market analysis and delivered other projects which led to the development of 10 incubators in Virginia, DC and Maryland during her years with ANGLE.
In Prince George’s County she has conducted two incubator feasibility studies for the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Prince George’s County Planning. She also has conducted a feasibility study for the City of Bowie and provided initial management support for the development of the Bowie Business Innovation Center (Bowie BIC).
Ms. Smith is frequent speaker at regional and national industry events sponsored by organizations such as the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) and the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA). She has contributed to two NBIA best-selling publications: Developing a Business Incubation Program and A Practical Guide to Business Incubator Marketing.
She is a member of NBIA and MEDA. She is a former member of the Virginia Business Incubation Association (VBIA) Board of Directors. Ms. Smith is a Maryland native who grew up in Hyattsville, MD. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Communication from The American University Kogod School of Business in Washington, D.C., and is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C.
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Michael J. Dailey,
Director of Client Services
Michael J. Dailey is the Executive Director and President of the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI) where he actively consults and provides in-depth business support programs to clients in start-up companies. FITCI is Frederick County’s first business incubator and has developed an award winning program to assist start-up companies develop sustainable, fast-growth, businesses. Mr. Dailey has been with the organization since 2004 and has managed its rapid growth and development due to the great demand for local entrepreneurial support. Since Mr. Dailey has managed the operation, FITCI has tripled the size of the operation from a small facility at Hood College hosting 6 to 8 clients to a 17,000 square facility in a commercial setting with over 30 clients with over 240 new jobs created from FITCI clients and graduates.
Prior to his current role as Executive Director and President, Mr. Dailey was a successful entrepreneur starting his own company and successfully selling it before joining FITCI. He has also held various senior level positions in sales and marketing mostly in the field of selling software solutions and technology to fortune 1,000 companies. Mr. Dailey founded several small companies over the year with his latest venture being Frederick Wireless, Inc. Founded in 2001, Frederick Wireless offered affordable, reliable, wireless High-Speed Internet services to businesses. As President and founder of Frederick Wireless, Mr. Dailey launched the company and successfully grew the operation from a start-up company with zero revenues in 2001 to a company providing High-Speed Internet services to more than 100 preeminent local business customers throughout Frederick before selling it to Eduro Technologies where it continues to operate today.
Mr. Dailey is a formally trained Product Development Manager, Project Manager, Market Research Manager, Market Segment Manager, and Sales Manager. He has attended and given numerous seminars on sales and marketing subjects. He has managed the product launch of numerous technologies ranging from check processing to voice over IP. Mr. Dailey holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Lewis University in Lockport, Illinois. He is the Past President of the Maryland Business Incubator Association (MBIA), Past Vice President of the Entrepreneur Council of Frederick County, a graduate of Leadership Frederick and graduate of Leadership Maryland. |
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 Renee Wilson,
Marketing Specialist
Renee C. Wilson is currently acting Office Manager at Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI). Ms. Wilson is in charge of daily operations including providing excellent service to over 30 tenants. She maintains the facility and equipment, administers the program office and provides for event planning. In addition, she assists the Executive Director with the FITCI business services programs, Board reporting and various administrative details.
Prior to her current position, Ms. Wilson worked at FITCI as the Marketing Assistant to the Executive Director where she was responsible for implementing the FITCI marketing plan. In her duties as marketing assistant, Ms. Wilson conducted various e-mail marketing campaigns, was the main resource responsible for the social media activities, issued press releases, edited the marketing materials, and maintained the company’s website.
Ms. Wilson began her career at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage as a Customer Service Representative in the Customer Service and Collections departments. She was recognized for her excellent skills and contributions to the company by being chosen as 1 of 7 employees out of over 150 applicants to establish and staff a newly formed and highly visible department. In was in this role that Ms. Wilson implemented new policies and procedures and assisted Asset Managers in the sale process for hundreds of properties across the country.
Ms. Wilson has also extensive experience as an administrative assistant to executives at both MedImmune and earlier Lonza giving her the foundation for providing excellent customer service.
She has system proficiencies in all Microsoft Office applications, Act!, Constant Contact email marketing, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Visio, and MS Publisher. |
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